Factoring Company Guide
Step One: The Client Application
You start by completing a simple client profile that we provide. This will include basic details like your company's name, address, what your business does, and some info about your customers.
You might also have to provide some documents like an accounts receivable aging report, or your customers' credit limits. The goal here is for us, the factor, to understand how creditworthy your customers are, beyond just their history with you. We want a more complete picture of their credit situation.
In this early phase, you'll also discuss financial arrangements with the factor. This includes things like how many invoices you plan to factor each month (or how cash-ready you need to be), the advance rate, the discount rate, and how fast we can provide the advance.
Usually, the answers to these questions will depend on your customers' financial strength and the expected monthly sales volume to be factored. Things like the type of industry, how long you've been in operation, and the general riskiness of your customers can make a difference. For example, factoring for a large number of high-risk clients will be more expensive than for a small number of slow-paying government agencies.
In factoring, volume is crucial. The more you factor (the total dollar amount of invoices), the better your rates will be.
We'll use the client profile you submit to decide if your business is a good fit for factoring. This involves weighing the potential risks and benefits based on the information you provided.
Once you're approved, you'll get to negotiate terms and conditions. The negotiation process considers various aspects of the deal. For instance, if you're factoring $10,000, you can't expect as good a deal as a company that wants to factor $500,000.
During negotiations, you'll learn all about the cost of factoring your accounts receivable. After an agreement is reached with the factor, we start the funding process. This involves checking your customers' credit, looking for any liens against your company, and verifying the validity of your invoice before buying your receivables and advancing money to you.
Factoring Company Benefits
Advantages of Factoring: Smart Financial Solutions for Your Business
- Relieve yourself from cash flow worries and concentrate on growing your business.
- Eliminate the burden of loan repayments with quick access to cash.
- Keep full control over your business operations and direction.
- Reduce or even eliminate the expenses of collecting payments.
- Gain greater control over your cash flow by strategically choosing invoices to sell.
- Outpace clients who delay payments and protect your financial stability.
- Enhance your production and sales with consistent cash flow.
- Access professional services for hassle-free payment collection and credit checks.
- Guarantee timely payroll management.
- Always have adequate funds to cover payroll taxes.
- Avail discounts for bulk purchases, reducing operational costs.
- Strengthen your negotiation power for early payment or bulk buying discounts.
- Bolster your credit rating with timely bill payments.
- Acquire the capital needed for expanding your business.
- Invest in effective marketing with a robust cash flow.
- Notice an improvement in your financial statements.
- Benefit from comprehensive reports for a clear view of your accounts receivable.
Is Factoring For You
The Importance of Factoring
"Until you collect the money, a sale remains incomplete."
Do you find yourself acting as a part-time banker for your customers?
Take a moment to review your accounts receivable aging schedule and tally the number of accounts that are overdue by more than 30 days. Congratulations, you are effectively extending credit to those customers. By not receiving prompt payment for your products or services, you are essentially providing interest-free financing to your customers. This might not align with your original business intentions, does it?
Consider this:
If your customers approached a bank and borrowed the same amount of money, would they expect to pay a significant amount of interest for the privilege? Undoubtedly!
Furthermore:
Not only are you not earning any interest on that money, but more importantly, you are also losing the opportunity to utilize that capital while waiting for your customers to settle their debts. What is the cost of not having this money readily available? Essentially, your customers are requesting you to finance their business by granting extended payment terms, often exceeding 30 days.
However, have you pondered the expenses incurred due to "missed opportunities" when your funds are tied up in accounts receivable?
Factoring History
Factoring: Boosting Business Potential and Financial Success
Welcome to the world of factoring, where businesses uncover the secret to unlocking their full potential and achieving financial success. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, a startup founder, or a business professional seeking new financing options, factoring is the tool that can propel your business forward.
Surprisingly, factoring often remains hidden in the shadows, with many business owners unaware of its incredible benefits. Yet, it holds the key to driving growth, ensuring cash flow stability, and opening doors to new opportunities.
So, what exactly is factoring? At its core, factoring involves selling your outstanding invoices at a discounted rate to a specialized financing company. In today's competitive landscape, offering credit terms to customers is a necessity for business growth. However, waiting for payments can strain cash flow, hampering your ability to invest, expand, and thrive.
Factoring has a rich and storied history that spans centuries. It originated from the realization that businesses shouldn't be held hostage by unpaid invoices. Over time, factoring evolved and adapted to meet the unique financial needs of businesses in different eras, becoming a reliable tool in the modern business landscape.
Today, factoring is a catalyst for unleashing business potential. By partnering with a reputable factor, businesses gain immediate access to the funds tied up in their invoices. This influx of cash empowers entrepreneurs to cover operating expenses, seize growth opportunities, and invest in crucial areas like marketing, technology, and talent acquisition.
Factoring knows no bounds when it comes to industries or business sizes. Whether you're a manufacturer, a service provider, or a B2B company, factoring can be customized to fit your specific needs. It offers flexibility, scalability, and the ability to adapt as your business evolves.
Beyond providing quick cash flow, factors bring additional expertise to the table. They evaluate the creditworthiness of your customers, manage collections, and take on the risk of non-payment. This frees up your time and resources to focus on core business activities, knowing that your factor is diligently working to secure payments on your behalf.
Factoring liberates businesses from the shackles of traditional financing options. It provides a fast, efficient, and accessible alternative that supports growth, innovation, and long-term success. With factoring, you can break through financial barriers, expand your operations, and seize new opportunities in your industry.
Join the ranks of businesses that have harnessed the power of factoring and experience the transformation it can bring. Embrace a future of financial stability, increased liquidity, and enhanced growth prospects. Factoring is the key that unlocks the doors to your business's ultimate potential.
Credit Risk
Quick Continuous Cash: Gain Expert Credit Risk Assessment at No Added Cost – Elevate Your Business Strategy!
In the world of factoring, accurate credit risk evaluation is paramount, and our expertise in this arena is unmatched – now available to you at no extra fee. Acting as your personal credit department, we offer insights that elevate your business above the rest.
Imagine a scenario where your sales team's eagerness to close deals blinds them to credit risks. We eliminate this risk, ensuring that every sale contributes positively to your cash flow and business health.
Our role is to provide detailed credit assessments, guiding you away from potential financial pitfalls while leaving the final decision in your hands. This approach ensures that your business moves forward with confidence.
Our rigorous research and regular monitoring of customer credit ratings offer a level of vigilance rarely seen in business today. This proactive approach is your safeguard against financial surprises.
With our legacy of over 70 years in managing cash flow and credit, we are ready to propel your business forward. Embrace our expertise for unparalleled financial success.
How To Change Factoring Companies
Changing Your Invoice Factoring Service Provider
Need-to-know info about switching invoice factoring firms.
Are you considering a different invoice factoring firm?
Are you dissatisfied with your current one?
Planning on ditching your current factoring firm?
What should I know before I switch factoring companies?
Here's a guide answering all these queries and more:
Understanding UCC and its role in switching factoring firms:
Usually, factoring companies file a general Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) to secure their claim over the invoices they've funded.
The UCC helps factoring companies, banks, and lenders know who's lent money on which assets. As invoices change daily, factoring companies need to file a 'blanket' UCC that secures all your receivables, even if you're only factoring a part of your sales. This 'blanket' UCC acts as a signal to other lenders, showing a Security Agreement exists between you and the factoring company.
Your specific factoring details, like rates and which accounts are factored, are laid out in the Security Agreement, which is not publicly accessible. Essentially, a UCC works like a first mortgage on your business.
The Process of Switching Companies
The lender with the earliest UCC filing gets 'First Position' on the promised collateral. For instance, a factoring firm has first rights to collect payments on your invoices.
To switch factoring firms, the new factoring firm has to pay off the old one. At the same time, the old factoring company's claim is released, and the new company's claim is filed, similar to refinancing a house.
A 'buyout' is when the new factoring firm pays off the old one using funds from your first financing.
The Buyout Agreement details the transition process and is signed by the old factoring firm, new factoring firm, and your company. In this agreement, you agree to the 'buyout figure' provided by the old factoring company.
How is the Buyout Figure Determined:
The buyout figure is usually the total outstanding receivables minus any reserves and then plus any fees owed to the old factoring firm. It's a good idea to ask for a detailed breakdown of your figure to ensure you understand if there are any early termination fees or additional charges.
What does the buyout cost?
If you can provide new invoices to the new factoring company, which they can use to pay off the outstanding invoices at your old firm, then you wouldn't incur additional costs for the switch. However, most companies need to resubmit some of the invoices already factored with the old company to the new one. In this case, the 'overlap' invoices will incur fees from both factoring firms.
How long does a buyout take?
When you're switching factoring firms, plan for the first funding to take two to three more days than the normal setup process. The extra days will be used to verify the invoices and calculate buyout figures for your approval.
What if my situation is more complex?
Although it's not usual, the old and new factoring firms can collaborate via an Intercreditor or Subordination Agreement until the old firm is paid off. Depending on the situation, factoring firms have managed to 'draw a line in the sand,' where the old firm has rights to invoices up to a certain date, and the new firm has rights to all invoices after that date.
Questions you should have asked before signing up with your current factoring firm:
- Can I use multiple factoring firms at once? The universal answer is one, according to the Uniform Commercial Code/UCC.
- If I decide to switch factoring firms, how much notice do I need to give?
- What is the penalty for leaving without giving the required notice and can you provide an example of how the fees are calculated? Beware of 13-month contracts that require a certain monthly factoring volume.
For example, a 13-month contract where you've agreed to factor $100,000 per month at a rate of 3% means you promise to pay them $3,000 per month in factoring fees or $34,000 in total over the next year. If you want to leave after 6 months, they will charge you the fees for the remaining 6 months, which equals $13,000. This can be too expensive for most companies, especially those with low profit margins. You're stuck!
